We recently rented a car to explore the wine country around Santiago, Chile, and were super excited to visit some vineyards and sample the local wine. We’ve done wine tastings in other parts of the world and figured it would be a laid-back day of hopping from one winery to the next, sipping wine whenever we felt like it. But when we got there, we were in for a surprise—apparently, you need an appointment to do tastings here! It definitely threw us off since we’re used to just showing up, ordering a glass, and taking in the views. In Santiago’s wine country, though, things are a little more formal. We drove up to a few beautiful vineyards, only to be told that tastings were by reservation only and that we couldn’t just walk in. Who knew wine tasting required so much planning here? While it was different from what we expected, we eventually got the hang of it and started making appointments at a couple of wineries. Once we sorted that out, the experience was still totally worth it. The vineyards were stunning, and the wines were incredible. The whole region has a peaceful vibe, surrounded by mountains and lush vineyards that make for the perfect day trip from the city. Lesson learned—if you’re planning to go wine tasting in Santiago, definitely book your spots in advance. It’s not quite the spontaneous adventure we were used to, but it was still a fantastic day once we adjusted.
